USAID Administrator Highlights Private Sector Partnerships to Reduce Hunger and Poverty at the World Economic Forum

WASHINGTON, DC – At the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah gathered with the CEOs of Unilever and Monsanto to support the launch of WEF’s global framework titled “Realizing a New Vision for Agriculture.” The show of support emphasizes USAID’s leadership in creating synergies between the public and private sectors to meet the global food security challenge.

Championed by 17 global companies and supported by key public and civil-society leaders, the New Vision framework outlines priorities and examples to illustrate the role businesses can play in meeting global food and nutrition needs through accelerated, sustainable agriculture-led growth. Through the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future initiative, the New Vision for Agriculture will aim to leverage private-sector investment to scale up agricultural growth in food-insecure countries. The 17 global companies that champion the initiative are: Archer Daniels Midland, BASF, Bunge, Cargill, The Coca-Cola Company, DuPont, General Mills, Kraft Foods, Metro, Monsanto Company, Nestlé, PepsiCo, SABMiller, Syngenta, Unilever, Wal-Mart Stores and Yara International.

“We are witnessing an unparalleled opportunity right now for innovative, large-scale private sector partnerships to achieve significant impact on global hunger and nutrition,” USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah said. “USAID is committed to creating new public-private partnerships in Feed the Future focus countries to advance their national investment plans.”

To demonstrate that commitment, Shah announced alongside President Kikwete of Tanzania that USAID is investing $2 million to Tanzania’s catalytic fund this year. The fund is devoted to delivering rapid and sustainable agricultural growth in Tanzania – with major benefits for small-scale farmers and rural communities. Results from this public-private blueprint will potentially triple Tanzania’s agricultural output, generate half a million jobs and lift two million people out of poverty, becoming a “breadbasket” for the region. USAID will join multinational companies like Yara, General Mills, Monsanto, Syngenta and others in support of the investment blueprint for years to come, and hopes to expand the blueprint in the future to at least five additional African countries.

USAID also signed a memorandum of understanding at Davos with DSM, the world’s largest manufacturer of micronutrients and vitamins, to increase the dietary quality in the developing world, starting with rice fortification in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ghana, Mali Senegal and Tanzania.